Happy Summer!
I hope you and your family had a safe and fun Independence
Day! Now that summer has officially arrived, I hope you will get outside and
enjoy our beautiful Pacific Northwest home.
Landing the Next
Boeing Plane
It’s no surprise to you: Snohomish County is part of the
most aerospace friendly state in the country. As competition heats up for the Boeing
Company’s New Midmarket Airplane (aka the 797), you will probably see lots of
activity from your elected officials across the region.
We have been working hard to make sure decision-makers at the
Boeing Company are reminded why they build the 747, 767, 777, and 787 right
here in Snohomish County. As they look at where the 797 should be built, we
will do all we can to point out the obvious: We have the best workforce. Best
education institutions. Best aerospace infrastructure. And best quality of
life. To build the 797 anywhere else would mean investing billions of dollars
and then not having a fully-developed aerospace ecosystem to sustain it. Going
elsewhere means increasing risks and decreasing predictability
I am proud to be part of Governor Inslee’s Choose Washington
effort. In addition, I launched with our key partners the Snohomish County Aerospace
Taskforce to make sure we are making the strongest case possible for bringing
the NMA here where it belongs.
Just last month, we hosted a Choose Washington meeting at
the Port of Everett to give everyone involved with the process from across the
state an opportunity to hear firsthand about what we’ve been able to create and
sustain here in Snohomish County. We appreciate the investments that the Boeing
Company and its employees have made in Snohomish County over the last 50 years.
We know the aerospace ecosystem well and have spent decades nurturing the building
blocks for success.
Until an announcement is made, we will keep working hard on
every front to land the NMA.
There has been a growing buzz about commercial air service
starting at Paine Field airport. Like you, we are excited to have only a short
drive to start our vacation or business trip. I am happy to report that
everything is on track and the terminal building is looking more finished every
day.
This innovative public/private partnership will give Snohomish
County this vital new facility without any financial investment from public
funds. Terminal construction should be completed by October of this year. Once
the airlines receive the required regulatory approvals, flights will start. We understand
that the first flights should begin sometime in early 2019.
We are proud of the progress that’s been made and look
forward to being there when the first plane takes off from Paine Field.
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